The Careers Programme is a critical aspect of our school’s commitment to equipping students with the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary to make informed decisions about their futures.
Our Careers team provide high-quality careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) to motivate and inspire our students. We aim to equip them with the skills, knowledge and information needed to achieve their full potential at school, work, and ultimately throughout their career. We prepare pupils for future success in education, employment or training.
We have been early adopters of the Gatsby Standards, using these recommendations and the results of our Compass Benchmarking to develop and improve our careers provision from Year 7 through to Year 11. We are performing above average against these national Benchmarks. More information about the Gatsby Benchmarks can be found here:
The Careers Programme is structured, impartial, and embedded across the whole school.
We adhere to statutory guidance on careers education, including ‘Careers guidance and access for education and training providers’ and work closely with the Careers and Enterprise Company to ensure compliance with relevant legislation.
Throughout our careers programme we collaborate with employers and post-16/18 learning providers including local colleges, sixth forms, universities and apprenticeship training providers. An independent Careers Advisor provides 1:1 Career Advice for our Year 11 students, ensuring every student receives bespoke support before they leave school. We work with organisations that aim to support young people in their transition from school into further learning or the workplace, including the Local Authority.
Providers are invited into school to work with students through events, assemblies, tutor sessions and targeted group work. We also organise external trips to higher and further education providers.
If you would like to learn more about our Careers programme or learn more about how you can get involved, please email careers@priorysouthsea.org
For Post-16 support and advice, please visit our bespoke Google site
https://sites.google.com/priorysouthsea.org/priory-yr10-post16options
Aims
Key Activities
o Careers education is embedded across subjects, enabling students to
understand the relevance of their studies to the world of work.
o Specific lessons are also delivered on employability skills, CV writing and
interview preparation.
o Partnerships with local businesses, including guest speakers, industry-led
workshops and workplace visits.
o Mock Interview Day and annual Careers Fair featuring representatives from
local industries, apprenticeship providers, colleges and universities.
o Business Enterprise Adviser engagement with Astute Technology
o Education Business Partnership (EBP) curriculum lessons
o Year 10 students have the opportunity to complete one-week work experience
placement, providing real-world exposure and insights into workplace
expectations.
o One-to-one career guidance interviews are offered to all Year 11 students with
an independent qualified careers adviser
o Visits to universities and colleges, as well as talks on apprenticeships and
vocational pathways. E.g. All Year 10 students are invited to experience taster
days at local colleges.
Evaluation
Reviewing impact is a key part of what we do. We work closely with the Local Authority in
providing destinations data (also reported to our governors) and to provide intervention for
students at risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment, or training).
The school has a nominated Governor for careers and the Local Governing Body receives
annual update on the careers programme, its value for money and its impact on all students
and holds the School leadership to account for an effective careers programme that delivers
the best interests of all students.
We formally assess our progress towards each of the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks each term
using the Compass evaluation tool as part of our partnership working with the Careers and
Enterprise Company.
Interventions are implemented during each year in response to constant evaluation so that
(i) as wide a group as possible of students are informed about as wide a range of
opportunities
(ii) all students can access career paths and development opportunities regardless
of background, gender, disability or other condition or situation that may
otherwise present a barrier to such access.
Careers in the Curriculum
Teaching staff and departments are aware of their important role in careers. Careers content
is embedded into lessons and staff are actively working towards improving the ‘careers in
the curriculum’ content for their subject. Increasingly, school trips aim to include Labour
Market Information and provide opportunities to engage with employers in the workplace,
with an aim to inspire students about potential career pathways. National Careers Week in
March is celebrated across the school with careers lessons in every subject in all year
groups.
We also encourage all staff to consider careers learning opportunities when running trips
and events – such as requesting speakers to share their career journeys and provide work
taster experiences.
If any of our parents/carers are interested in sharing their career stories with our students
then please reach out to us by emailing careers@priorysouthsea.org
Useful websites for students, parents and carers
Beyond Priory – Alumni
We love hearing about the adventures of our previous students. If you’d like to share a story
about where you are now, come in to talk to current students about your experiences then
please email us at careers@priorysouthsea.org
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